‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ Reboot in Search of a Writer

Just a few weeks ago, news broke that NBC was working on a new reboot of the classic 1990s TV show, “Xena: Warrior Princess.” The original show’s creator, Rob Tapert, was reported as being involved in the new series, along with executive producer Sam Raimi. However, that was about all that was announced regarding the reboot and a lot was kept in secret, including whether or not the show’s original star, Lucy Lawless, would be returning for the new series.

Not much else is known about the project at this point, but while appearing at this year’s TCA press tour, NBC Network President, Bob Greenblatt, confirmed the reboot’s existence, before heavily emphasizing how early into development the project is (via THR):

Yes, we’re in the early stages of developing a new take on Xena and we’re looking for a writer. We want to do it. I don’t think it’s just a continuation, but we haven’t gotten that far. I think it’s a great character, and we should try to figure out how to revive it somehow… there is a deal with Sam [Raimi] and Rob Tapert to produce, and it’s with NBC International.

But will Lucy Lawless have any involvement in the new series? Greenblatt had this to say about the possibility:

We’d love to have Lucy be a part of it — if we felt that her presence didn’t overshadow the direction we take with it. I’m not sure how she could be part of it if she wasn’t playing Xena, and I don’t know if that’s a direction we’ll ever go.

So it sounds like even the network isn’t entirely sure of what the series could be at this point. Considering what happened to Xena’s character in the show’s series finale though, it would definitely be difficult to work the character into this new reboot, assuming of course, that they don’t just cast an entirely new actress for the role.

The original series ended up running for six seasons from 1995 to 2001, and continues to find new viewers to this day. The show still has a large and dedicated fan base, so NBC will want to be careful with how much they change in the reboot, and how they decide to handle the Xena character (if they even do). Once a writer signs on for the series, it’s likely the direction of the new series will become much more clear.

The “Xena: Warrior Princess” reboot is currently in development at NBC.

Make sure to keep checking back for more updates — right here on GeekNation.

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If you’ve seen the show, you know being dead is no obstacle for the warrior princess (or at least only enough of one to make for an hour or two of good drama): Xena died and came back to life multiple times on that show before the death that was left undone in the series finale.